Small Church:
Conferences:
- The Gift of Small: The Association of Smaller Congregations (Synod of the South Atlantic) Annual Conference, Feb. 29–March 3, 2024: Now in its 35th year at Epworth by the Sea in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, the Association of Smaller Congregations is partnering this year with regional branches of PAM (Presbyterian Association of Musicians) and APCE (Association of Partners in Christian Education) to broaden the scope of their conference. Rich worship, inspiring keynote addresses, nuts and bolts workshops, time for sabbath renewal and plenty of table fellowship makes this a valuable conference for church members, ruling elders, CREs and pastors of smaller membership congregations. Keynote speaker Mark Tidsworth will inspire us to trust our small boats to the Spirit’s flow. Conference musician Luke Browder will guide us through worship planning for the small membership church. Representatives from PC(USA) agencies will be on hand to answer questions about the rich resources available to our smaller membership congregations: Click here
Webinars/Podcasts:
- Cultivating Change in Small Towns and Rural Communities, 7/20/2023 PRC webinar on demand: Click here
- Small Church Checkup: Assessing Your Church’s Health and Creating a Treatment Plan, a PRC recorded webinar: Click here
- Small Church, Big Mission, 9/2021 PRC recorded webinar: Click here
- Small Church Series: Thriving Rural Ministry, 9/2021 PRC recorded webinar: Click here
- Small Church Series: Big Impact, PRC Recorded webinar: Click here
- Can This Work In A Small Church? Karl Vaters podcast: Click here
- Small church webinars and other resource page from PRC: Click here
Articles/Resource pages:
- 7 Small-Church Choices That Will Strengthen Your Ministry, 12/2023 article by Karl Vaters: Click here
- Let’s reframe vitality, 4/2023 Outlook article by Phil Blackburn: Click here
- Faith and Leadership, Allen T. Stanton, UMC, articles for small rural churches: Click here
- Congregational Capacity for Change: A Challenge for Small Churches, 4/2022 article: Click here
- The small church: a gift to its community, 10/2021 PC(USA) article: Click here
- Smaller congregations are ‘hardy and tough,’ says Stewardship Kaleidoscope speaker, PC(USA) article: Click here
- Can Small Congregations Change? 3/2015 article by Sarai Rice (Congregational Consulting Group): Click here
- What Is A Small Church? 7/2021 (Karl Vaders article): Click here
- Revitalizing church leadership: PneuMatrix joins the Holy Spirit in identifying adaptive change and positive deviance, 2/2018 (Presbyterian Outlook article): Click here
- 3 Unique Gifts of the Rural Church, 5/2021 (Lewis Center for Church Leadership article): Click here
- Leveraging Church Property Can Sustain Your Mission, 5/2021 Lewis Center for Church Leadership article: Click here
- To the Point: A New Way to View Small Church Vitality, 3/2019 article by Lewis A. Parks: Click here
- Ministry Boosts Small Church Vitality, 2012 United Methodist article: Click here
- Articles about Small Churches by Karl Vaters: Click here
Suggested Resources:
- We Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and Ministry by Mark Elsdon, (2021)
- The Disciple Making church: From Dry Bones to Spiritual Vitality by Glenn McDonald (2007)
- Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations by Allen T. Stanton (2021)
- Small Church Essentials by Karl Vater. Click here to listen to him talk about his book in this podcast.
- Small on Purpose: Life in a Significant Church by Lewis A. Parks (2017, Abingdon Press)
- 99 Thoughts for Smaller Church Youth Workers: Doing More With Less by Stephanie Caro (2011, Group)$